Anthony Hopkins, famed for his Oscar-winning performance as serial killer Hannibal Lecter among many other movie and television roles, has his first album coming out at 88 years of age. A lifelong composer, but busy with other work ("Music was my first desire," he says) Hopkins took 60 years to complete Life is a Dream. The first single, Bracken Road, draws on memories of his childhood in Margam in south Wales; it was composed in 1963.
The Hollywood Reporter has more.
"Signing with Decca is the honor of a lifetime," continued Hopkins. "It has been a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra and the virtuoso soloists, cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo. My deepest gratitude and respect go to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry is an integral part of this musical journey. With the graceful precision of his baton, he transformed each note with profound and indelible meaning, creating a pictorial landscape that invites the listener to feel and imagine something uniquely personal."
Decca's press release follows below. The album's out on August 21.
Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of the most celebrated actors of our time, with a career spanning more than six decades across film, television, and theater. Beyond his achievements as an actor, Hopkins has long nurtured a deep passion for music and composition.
Hopkins shares his most personal musical project to date, entitled Life Is A Dream. Performed by Grammy Award-winning conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra, the album presents new recordings of original works inspired by Hopkins' family, Wales and a lifetime of experience.
"Music was my first desire, my first wish," says Hopkins. "I've been composing music all my life. Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them."
The new recording project features works written across different periods of Hopkins' life, revealing a composer whose music shares the same emotional depth and storytelling that define his screen career. Here is an intimate musical memoir shaped by loved-ones, imagination, and heritage. Several pieces draw directly on his Welsh upbringing and the landscapes of his boyhood, while others reflect important people and experiences that have accompanied him over the years.
Previously:
• Three actors, one Hannibal Lecter scene
• Hudson river fish edible for first time in 50 years
